Electrode unit



R. l. HAHN ELECTRODE UNIT Aug. 7, 1951 Filed July 28, 1949 Patented Aug.7, 1951 UNITED ELECTRODE UNIT Rea I. Hahn, Rochester, N. Y., assigner toGeneral Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corpora..n

tion of Delaware Application July 28, 1949, Serial No. l?,l53

(Cl. 21S-6) 4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to the manufacture of tubing and its object is toprovide an, electrode unit suitable for use in heating tubing by passageof electric current through it while travelling` in a non-oxidizingatmosphere, said unit providing a chamber in which a tubing contactingelectrode is loca-ted and which receives an inert or partially reducinggas, and providing for facile location of the tubing in the chamber and.in contact with the electrode by lateral movement of the tubing as wellas by threading the tubing longitudinally.

In the disclosed embodimentof the invention this object is accomplishedby providing chamber wall portions, one vbeing fixed and the othermovable from a closed position to an open position to expose a channelprovided by the fixed portion into which the tubing can be pla-ced bylateral movement thereof.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein a preferred embodiment of thc present invention isclearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side View of the electrode unit.

Fig. 2 is sectional view on line 'r2- of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view in the direction of arrow 3 of Fig. Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 Fig. 6

is a view in the direction of arrow 4 of is a sectional View on line 5-5of Fig, l. is a sectional View on line i-6 of Fig. 5. sectional view online l-l of Fig. l. The supporting freine-work of the device coinprisesend plates ib, side plates li and a bottom plate E2 of non-conduotingrefractory material, such as transita which are attached together in.box-like formation. There is also a metal bottoni plate i3 attached toplates iD (Fig. 2). This frame is slidable on horizontal supportsprovided. for example by parallel angle bars I4 to enable the unit to.be located in the desired position relative to other electrode units,said units being for example parts of a tubing annealer providing forheating the tubing by passing electric current through the portion ofthe tubing between the units. The fra-ine is secured in the desiredposition on the angles i4 by a clamp i5 of transito secured by a screwl5 threaded into plate I3.

The plates i9 support bearings 20 for a shaft 2l preferably of copperand carrying a copper disc l2 partially submerged in mercury 23contained in a copper vat 24. attached to the adjacent plate i0. The vat24 is to be connected with a current source terminal. Vat 24 supports abar 25 to which is attached a block 25 providing for connection with asource of cool Water conducted by a pipe 2l extending through a bore inthe sliait 2! and terminating near the left end of the sha-ft. Thiswater hows from the right end of the shaft upon a lip of the vat 24 andis received by a suitable drain not shown.

Shaft 2l supports a grooved, copper electrode roll 28 secured by c. nut'i8 and cooperating with a grooved, copper oontactor roll 3Q secured `bya nut 3i to a shaft journaled in bearings 33 supported by transitoplates 34 attached to metal plates 35 pivoted on screws 36 supported byplates l l (Fig. l). 'Plates 55 and parts supported thereby gravitate acounterclockwise direction so that contacter roll Si urged by forcedgravity upon the tubing which received between it and the roll 28. A.plate tt provides a hole Zla for receivin shaft and a hole 32a forreceiving shaft 32, the latter liole being of such size as to permitupward movement of the roll 3l) suiciently to place the tubing betweenit and the roll 28 by lateral movement of the tubing.

T he unit provides a chamber for retaininginert or reducing gas at theelectrode 23 and contactor 38 and beyond them. This chamber is enclosedby a housing comprising iixed and movable members. The Pied memberincludes a metal frame member il! (Fig. '7) attached to plate 4B andsupporting a transito side wall liner 42 to which are attached as shownin Fig. G bottom liners #i3 and top liners t5 and 46 also made of trasite. Between the top and bottom liners, there is a tubing receivingchannel. Brackets 6l having shanlrg lla press tted into aligned holesprovided by plates to, ifi and i3 (Fig. 2) support screws 48 providingpivots for bars t9 which are welded to a. metal frame meinn ber 553supporting a transito side wall liner 5! (Fig. 7) adapted to engage thelining members i3-6.8 to provide an enclosure for the tubing. Parts 5]and 5! provide the movable member of the housing. The plate 4U supportsbrackets 52 carrying pins 53 providing pivots for latchlevers 54 forhooking over a latch bar 55 connecting the levers 49. Levers Si@ areconnected by a handle bar 540..

Inert or partially reducing gas is conducted by pipe t!) (Fig. 6) intothe chamber enclosed by housing members di and 56. The pressure of thegas is sufficient to cause it to prevent entrance of air into thechamber. This gas hows into refractory tubes (not shown) which areconnected in any suitable mannerV with the refractory liner members ofthe chamber. To limit the escape of gas around the rolls 28 and 30, thelining members 43--46 are shaped to terminate close to these rolls andthe liner 152 is recessed or counterbored at 28u. to provide slightclearance with the roll 28 and counterbore 56a to provide slightclearance with the roll 30.

By lifting the handle 54a, the latch levers 54 are lifted in order torelease the movable housing member 50 so that it can be swungcounterclockwise (Fig. 2) about the pivot screws 38, thereby exposingthe tubing-receiving channels between the liners i3-45 and the linersl-i6 (Fig. 6). By lifting the roll 30, the ltubing can be placed inthese channels without requiring the tubing to be threadedlongitudinally. It is likewise an advantage to be able to remove thetubing from the channels by lateral movement thereof. For example, ifthe tubing should buckle and jam in the unit due to accidentaloverheating, the buckled portion of the tubing can be moved laterallyfrom the channels and be cut out without iirst requiring longitudinalmovement of the tubing to locate the buckled portions beyond one end orthe other of the unit or other units connected therewith.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed,constitutes a preferred form, itis to be understood that other formsmight be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. An electrode unit comprising an electrode for contacting movingtubing, a tubing eontactor for urging the tubing against the electrode,means supporting the contactor for movement against the tubing or awayfrom the tubing to permit placing the tubing between the electrode andcontactor, a housing receiving portions of the electrode and contactorand providing a gas receiving chamber at the electrode and contacter andextending therefrom, said housing including a xed member providing achannel in which the tubing can be placed by lateral movement thereof aswell as by threading it when the contactor is separated from theelectrode and including a member movable from a position exposing thechannel for placing the tubing therein into a position closing thechannel and means for retaining the movable member in channel closingposition.

2. An electrode according to claim 1, in which the gas chamber housingmembers each have a channel shaped metal frame, in which the fixed framemember supports side wall liner and bottom and top wall liners ofrefractory material between which the tubing-receiving channel isprovided, in which the movable frame member supports the other side wallliner of refractory material, and in which means are provided forsupporting the movable frame member for movement from a positionexposing the channel for placing the tubing therein into a positionwherein the side wall member carried thereby contacts the bottom and topwall liners supported by the fixed metal frame.

3. Apparatus for heating metal tubing electrically while said tubing isbeing moved longitudinally, comprising an electrode for contacting themoving tubing, a member for urging the tubing against the electrode,mov-able means supporting said member and so constructed that it may beoperated to move said member far enough from the electrode to permit thetube to be placed between the electrode and said member by a lateralmovement of said tube, a housing into which said member and saidelectrode project and having a channel formed therein through which thetube passes, means for introducing a gas into said chamber, said chamberhaving e, pivoted wall movable to a position to permit access thereto sothat the tube can be inserted in said channel by a lateral movementthereof and movable also to a position to close said channel and meansfor holding the wall in its channel closing position.

4. Apparatus for heating metal tubing electrically while said tubing isbeing moved longitudinally, comprising an electrode for contacting themoving tubing, a member for urging the tubing against the electrode,movable means supporting said member and so constructed that it may beoperated to move said member far enough from the electrode to permit thetube to be placed between the electrode and said member by .a lateralmovement of said tube, a housing into which said member and saidelectrode project and having a fixed portion forming a channel throughwhich the tube passes and a pivoted wall movable to permit access tosaid channel so that the tube may be positioned in said channel by alateral movement of the tube and to a position to close said channel,means for introducing a gas into said chamber, said fixed and movableparts of said chamber having liners of refractory material so that whentheV movable wall is in closed position, the tube which passestherethrough is surrounded by walls of refractory material, .and meansfor holding the movable wall in its channel closing position.

REA I. HAHN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,019,555 Wood et al. Nov. 5,1935 2,214,108 Nichols Sept. 10, 1940 2,223,270 Quarnstrom Nov. 26, 1940

